Mop and washing and wringing apparatus therefor



Feb. 21, 1939. w. H. ABBOTT MOP, AND WASHING AND WRINGING A PARATUSTHEREFOR Filed Dec. 6, "1935 usniur m. m. B

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 NITED PATENT OFFICE MOP, AND WASHING AND WRINGINGAPPARATUS THEREFOR Claims,

This invention relates to mop washing devices and particularly to a formof device in which the washing mechanism and the wringing mechanism mustbe designed as a unit, the one to fit the other.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a scrubbing andwringing mechanism which is easily operated and cleans a mop completely;second, to provide such a mechanism with few parts which can be made ata low cost.

The device according to the invention is particularly adapted to a mopin which the mop frame is designed so as to be thin and stiff in onedimension and wide, and flexible in the dimension at right angles to thefirst dimension and so that ,the length of the mop mitten bears a fixedrelation to the location of the washing and wringing members and thedepth of the receptacle so that the full surface of the mop shall bewashed and wrung.

A further particular object of the invention is that the members be soarranged that all the effort exerted shall be in actual washing andwringing of the surface of the mop and very little in operating themechanism itself so that the device can be operated easily by women.

A still further object is to so arrange the washing and wringing partsthat the dirt brought on the mop to the receptacle shall be transferredcompletely to the water in the receptacle and the mop freed of itsexcess of water.

A still further object is that the force exerted in washing and wringingthe mop shall be central with a wide diameter of the receptacle anddirectly toward the base on entering and directly away from the pointsof anchoring on drawing out the mop so that upsetting of the receptacleis avoided. This also reduces tendency to splash or spill mop drainage.

A still further object is a great reduction in the number of parts bysupporting the mechanism on. the pail or receptacle.

A still further particular object is the preventing of warping of thebrushes when made of wood by inserting at right angles with their lengthmetal stiffeners across the warping plane. This is particularlynecessary when using wooden brushes partly immersed in a liquid.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration I haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the mop cleaning device constructed inaccordance with my invention and showing the connection between themovable roller and the bail of the receptacle.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l but including a diagrammaticsketch of the mop entering between the rollers.

Figure 3 isa transverse sectional View showing the mounting of therollers, bail and brushes.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 and including adiagrammatic sketch of the mop disposed between the rollers and brushes,and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the brushes showing themanner in which they swing apart as the mop is introduced between them.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 2' and I are the rollersarranged to engage through their whole length. 6 Ba lever which alsoacts as a bail for the bucket}; The rod 3 is the fixed axis for theroller l. The rod pivoted at 4, is the axis for the movable roller 2.The link 5 in Fig. 1 enables roller 2 to be controlled by lever 6. Lever6 can be easily thrown by the mop to move roller 2 to or from roller Iand cause the pressure which wrings the mop.

Fig. 2 shows how the especially constructed mop on being pushed downbetween the rollers causes roller 2 to move away from roller l andpermits the mop to enter and take the position shown in Fig. 4 relativeto the rollers and the brushes l2. The mop is made up essentially of astiff but bendable flat frame El and a mitten placed thereover andsecured at the top which has strands l0, extending from a backing 16. Onpulling the mop upward the mop handle and mop can at the same time bepushed against the roller 1, which turns on the bail as an axis, drawingroller 2 tightly against roller I and wringing enough of the water outof it to be suitable for mopping work. To do this it is not necessarythat the mop vary much from the vertical either on the entering or thereturn stroke. Nor is it necessary that more than excess water beremoved from the mop.

In Fig. 5 the brushes i2 are shown in relation to the rollers and themopv it. The brushes are pivoted on axes. l3 so that they turn outwardand offer very little resistance to the entrance of the especially builtmop I. On the return stroke the engagement of the upper bristles withthe mop It causes the brushes to turn on the axes l3 and assume theposition as shown in Fig. 4, thus the whole surface of the brushesengage and scrub the mop. Cleaning is done most efiectively if the waterlevel is about halfway of the brushes as shown at I 4 in Fig. 4. Ifmoisture absorbent material such as wood is used for brushes the backsmust be prevented from warping out of shape. One way of doing this is byinserting steel wires through the wood as shown at l9 Fig. 4.

The relation of the dimensions of the mop and the location of therollers and brushes is most important, else the whole surface of the mopcannot be washed. The haft of the mop l5 must be of such length andthickness that it may enter between the rollers far enough to allow thetop of the mop to be scrubbed by the brushes and the length of the mopmust be such as to allow the brushes to engage the top of the mop whenthe tip of the mop blade I1 is prevented from entering the receptaclefurther at point l8. The blade of the mop l1, Fig. 5 must be of suchmaterial that it will not bend too easily when pushing apart the rollersl and 2 and turning the brushes 12 on their axes I3. The blade I! mustalso be of such material and thickness that it will bend readily andconform to the floor when the mop is in use. It is particularlyimportant that the mop when used on edge shall be very stiff so that itmay present its edges to the angles formed by a floor with themop-boards and shall-enter these angles to their apexes as these are thedifiicult locations to clean with ordinary mops. The mitten of the mopI6, Fig. 5 shall be formed by a foundation fabric to which yarn isattached in such a manner that it will have a maximum of fiufiiness whenapplied to the floor and a minimum of flufilness when drawn through thebrushes and rollers. It must be of uniform thickness so that the brushesand rollers will engage the whole surface and the water tend to bescraped out of it by the brushes as well as wrung out of it by therollers.

Since the structures as hereinbefore described are obviously capable ofa considerable range of change and modification without in any mannerdeparting from the spirit of my invention, I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the specific arrangement illustratedexcept as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A mop cleaning device for mounting on a receptacle comprising rollersadapted to cooperate to wring a mop, one at least of said rollers beingmovable and a pair of brushes positioned below the rollers and adaptedto scrub the mop.

2. A mop cleaning device as defined in claim 1 in which the pair ofbrushes is positioned substantially vertically below the rollers.

3. A mop cleaning device for stifi mops and adapted to be mounted on areceptacle comprising a fixed roller, a movable roller adapted tocooperate with the fixed roller to wring a mop, and apair of pivotedbrushes positioned below the rollers.

4. A mop cleaning device for stiff mops adapted to be mounted on areceptacle comprising a fixed and a movable roller adapted to cooperateto wring a mop, a pair of pivoted brushes positioned below the rollers,a bail pivotally mounted on the receptacle and connected to the movableroller, said bail operating to bring the movable roller into actionagainst the fixed roller when a force having a horizontal component isapplied to the surface of the bail which faces the movable roller.

5. A mop cleaning device as defined in claim 4 in which the bailcomprises a roller adapted to turn about the bail as an axis and to onesurface of which the force is applied.

WALTER H. ABBOTT.

